Vanguard Magazine

Deep Blue Forum 2025 22 DECEMBER 2025/JANUARY 2026 www.vanguardcanada.com B Y N O R M A N J O L I N T he conference was opened with a keynote speech by Rear Admiral Jason Arm- strong, the RCN Chief of Naval Capability, where he discussed the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) highlighting the baseline requirements for the replacement for the Victoria-class submarines. He then briefed the unique proposal process, a significant departure from legacy processes with the aim of identifying the preferred supplier in 2026. While the submarines will be built offshore, he stressed the opportunity for Canadian industry in sustainment and sup- ply chain integration with the submarine manufacturer, to develop and maintain a sovereign support capability. This will nec- essarily include purpose-built submarine maintenance facilities, on both coasts, us- ing a government owned/contractor op- erated (GOCO) model. His address was then followed by a panel discussion, moderated by retired Com- On 4 November 2025, Vanguard's sixth annual underwater forum, Deep Blue 2025, was held in Ottawa, with a theme of The Future of the Submarine Enterprise – People Harnessing Technology, in a System of Systems. The day-long conference was eloquently run by the Master of Ceremony, Sarah McMillan, Chief Operating Officer, Babcock Canada. The conference was hosted in person, while simultaneously streaming virtually, with a record number of people spanning both government and industry registered for Deep Blue 2025: over 354 attending in person and 76 virtually. Master of Ceremonies: Sarah McMillan, COO, Babcock Canada Opening Keynote: RAdm Jason Armstrong, Chief Naval Capability Team Babcock Canada Photos: Elise Kelsey modore James Clarke on preparing the people for CPSP. The panel representing the RCN, MDA and recently retired CAE training expertise discussed the building of a sovereign capability that encompasses platforms, infrastructure and people – with the biggest threat to the project being the ability to deliver trained people in time. The need to attract, train and retain suf- ficient personnel requires a rethink of the current training philosophy that must align with both the operations and main- tenance philosophies. This will necessarily encompass step changes in technology and potentially occupation structure revision as the RCN simultaneously competes for talent with industry. When looking at the entire enterprise, there is a need for col- laboration with industry to avoid conflict, notably the original equipment manufac- turers (OEMs) and other users of the se- lected submarine platform. The morning then proceeded with a second panel discussion on Continuous

• Cover